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Responsible Tourism Resources from South Africa

Tips and Tools for South African Tourism Companies :

How to…? Brief 1: Boosting procurement from local businesses (PDF Format)

How to…? Brief 2: Stimulating local cultural and heritage products (PDF Format)

How to…? Brief 3: Building local partnerships (PDF Format)

How to…? Brief 4: Setting corporate priorities and managing internal change (PDF Format)

Cape Town Declaration
This is a product of the Cape Town Conference, which was organized by the Responsible Tourism Partnership and the Western Cape Tourism Board as a side event preceding the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). The Conference theme was "Responsible Tourism in Destinations", and 280 delegates attended the event from 20 countries. The Declaration embraces guiding principles in the social, economic and environmental spheres, in line with responsible tourism in destinations. Read more…

Funding Programmes for Tourism Businesses
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) and the Tourism Business Council have compiled information on tourism funding programmes. It is aimed at assisting small and medium sized businesses within the tourism industry by providing information and criteria for funding and the application process. Read more…

Guidelines for Responsible Tourism
This document outlines the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT)'s guiding principles for economic, social, and environmental responsibility in the South African tourism industry. Read more…

Responsible Tourism Handbook - A Guide to Good Practice for Tourism Operators
This handbook provides practical examples and tips on how tourism operators can operate more responsibly. Read more…

Strategies, Impacts, and Costs of Pro-Poor Initiatives in South Africa
This Pro-Poor Tourism paper describes strategies devised by five private sector enterprises to address poverty and development issues in neighbouring communities. Read more…

Support Programmes for Tourism Businesses
This handbook provides information on support programmes for Tourism Businesses and is an initiative of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) and the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA). Read more…

White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa, 1996
The White Paper discusses the role of the tourism industry in the South Africa including its past, present and future problems, goals, and objectives. Read more…

Addressing Poverty Issues in Tourism Standards
This Pro-Poor Tourism Paper focuses on the use of standards in the tourism industry and its influence on poverty issues. The paper focuses on international principles and codes, local employment issues, and overall committment of certification schemes to poverty alleviation.Read more…

Agenda 21 for the Travel & Tourism Industry
The Agenda 21 for the Travel & Tourism Industry document contains priority areas for action with defined objectives and suggested steps to be taken to achieve them. The document emphasizes the importance of the partnerships between government, industry and non-governmental organizations. Read more…

Environmental Codes of Conduct for Tourism
[Technical Report Number 29; Author: United Nations Environment Programme, Industry and Environment Unit, 1995] - This publication provides a summary of global voluntary environmental codes of conduct in the tourism industry. Read more…

Environmental Management for Hotels: The Industry Guide to Best Practice
[Author: International Hotels Environment Initiative, second edition, 1996] - A manual that addresses the environmental aspects of hotel management. This document is a comprehensive guide to quality environmental management. Read more…

International Business Leaders Forum Report on Tourism and Local Economic Development
In the fall of 2004, The International Tourism Partnership held the Tourism and International Development Forum. The International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) subsequently published a report focusing on the key challenges concerning the international tourism industry and poverty alleviation. Read more…

Making Responsible Travel a Marketing Feature and a Business Plus
[Pro-poor Tourism no. 8] Many companies invest in responsible and pro-poor tourism behaviour: the question is how do they inform clients of this and in what way do they, or can they, make it a marketing plus? There are many different examples and approaches; this brief highlights a few.

Public Private Partnerships for Sustainability Certification of Tourism Activities
This World Tourism Organization (WTO) paper focuses on certification schemes and their effectiveness in promoting a more sustainable tourism industry. Read more…

Tourism and the Poor: Analyzing and Interpreting Tourism Statistics from a Poverty Perspective
This Pro-Poor Tourism paper is intended to assist in the assessment of the relevance of the tourism industry in developing nations. The authors ask, "How should national and international data on tourism be interpreted from a development perspective? What are the caveats and myths that need to be taken into account, and what further information is needed?" Read more…

World Social Forum Statement of Concern
At the 4th World Social Forum, the Tourism Interventions Group expressed their commitment to equitable and sustainable global tourism. Past successes and future goals are discussed. Read more…

World Watch Paper - Traveling Light: New paths for international tourism
Written by Lisa Mastny of World Watch, this paper focuses on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of sustainable tourism. It highlights case studies, employment and gender issues, and certification efforts around the world. Read more…